Spine Surgery
Our neurosurgeons perform advanced spine surgery every day, helping patients find relief from pain.
To learn more about our services or schedule an appointment, call:
954-276-3500Our Approach to Spine Surgery
For many causes of back and neck pain, non-surgical spine treatments, such as physical therapy and pain management procedures, offer relief. However, you might consider surgery when these treatments aren’t effective or you have a more complex condition.
At Memorial Neuroscience Institute, our neurosurgeons provide exceptional care while focusing on what matters most — trust and safety. They lead highly trained surgical teams who work together to deliver streamlined care. They also coordinate with other specialists across our healthcare system, ensuring you get the right care at the right time.
Looking for a Second Opinion?
If you’re not satisfied with the care you’ve received elsewhere and would like a second opinion, we’ll provide one. You can trust that our multidisciplinary team will conduct a thorough assessment and provide you with a customized treatment plan.Your peace of mind is important. Let us help you consider all your treatment options.
Conditions We Treat With Spine Surgery
At our Spine Center, you’ll find surgical options for the many conditions that cause back and neck pain, such as:
- Congenital spine conditions
- Degenerative spine conditions, such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis and compression fractures
- Herniated discs
- Nerve pain
- Scoliosis and complex spinal deformities
- Spinal injuries
- Spinal tumors
- Spondylolisthesis
Minimally Invasive vs. Open Spine Surgery
Our neurosurgeons perform spine surgery using two main approaches:
- Minimally invasive spine surgery: The neurosurgeon makes small incisions — usually less than one inch. They insert tools through the incisions to view the surgical area and perform detailed procedures.
- Open spine surgery: The neurosurgeon uses longer incisions and may need to disrupt nearby tissues.
Whenever possible, we opt for minimally invasive procedures, which typically cause less pain and have a faster recovery. However, open surgery is sometimes necessary. Our neurosurgeons consider each patient individually to decide the best approach.
Types of Spine Surgery We Offer
We offer advanced surgical options for routine and complex spine issues. Depending on your condition, your treatment plan may include:
There are different types of spine decompression surgery, ranging in complexity. All aim to reduce pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Decompression surgeries we perform most often are:
- Discectomy: A discectomy removes a bulging or torn piece of disc. A common version of discectomy is a minimally invasive microdiscectomy. In this procedure, the neurosurgeon makes a small incision and inserts a series of narrow tubes to reach the area. They use small tools to create space around the nerve and trim the herniated disc.
- Laminectomy: In a laminectomy, the neurosurgeon removes a section of bone (vertebra) to make more room for your spinal cord. The most common reason for laminectomy is age-related narrowing of the space around the spinal cord (spinal stenosis).
Spinal fusion is a procedure to secure two or more vertebrae together using screws, plates and rods. Our neurosurgeons use different approaches to reach the spine:
- Anterior: Through the abdomen
- Lateral: Through the side
- Posterior: Through the back
The approach we use depends on what part of the spine we need to reach and your anatomy. Having a range of options helps us achieve better results than operating only from the back. When entering through the abdomen, our neurosurgeons work with Memorial’s vascular or thoracic surgeons to navigate around your internal blood vessels and organs.
The most common spinal fusion procedure we perform is an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). This procedure combines a discectomy with fusion for people with degenerative disc disease in their neck.
Kyphoplasty is a more advanced procedure. The neurosurgeon inflates a small balloon inside a collapsed vertebrae to expand it. Then, they inject bone cement to hold the space open.
Spine tumors require specialized care. Our neurosurgeons work with specialists at the Memorial Cancer Institute to develop a treatment plan. Your plan may include any combination of surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Spinal tumor surgery typically involves separating the tumor from the surrounding tissue and removing it. Stereotactic radiosurgery (CyberKnife®) is another option if the neurosurgeon can’t remove the entire tumor. CyberKnife uses image guidance and a robotic platform to deliver beams of radiation.
In some cases, it’s beneficial to seal off the blood supply to a spinal tumor before surgery (embolization). This step makes the tumor easier to remove and reduces bleeding during surgery. Neurointerventional surgeons at Memorial Neuroscience Institute perform these procedures.
Treatment also varies based on tumor type:
- Primary spinal tumors: These tumors develop in the spine. Surgical removal can sometimes be a cure.
- Metastatic spinal tumors: These tumors travel to the spine from cancer somewhere else in the body. Our goal with metastatic tumors is usually to reduce pain and stabilize the spine. Surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are all possible treatments. We also offer laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), a minimally invasive treatment that uses heat to shrink the tumor.
Making Spine Surgery Safer
We use advanced technology to improve the safety and effectiveness of surgery:
- Surgical planning: Imaging tests before surgery help us map the tumor before surgery and determine the best surgical approach.
- Spinal navigation: Our operating room is equipped with an intraoperative CT scanner that provides GPS-like navigation during surgery. This tool helps us ensure the accurate placement of screws, plates and rods before we complete surgery.
- Neural monitoring: This technology monitors spinal cord function during surgery. It protects the spinal cord by alerting the neurosurgeon of any changes in function.
Recovery After Spine Surgery
You receive expert care after spine surgery to help you recover and resume your daily activities:As needed, we provide therapy in the hospital or at our inpatient rehabilitation facility. After you go home, you can continue physical therapy at one of our outpatient locations, or we can arrange for home health to provide therapy.
Blue Distinction Center+ for Spine Surgery
Memorial Regional Hospital is a Blue Distinction Center + for Spine Surgery. This recognition is reserved for centers that provide comprehensive spine surgery services and meet rigorous standards for patient outcomes. At Memorial, our patients have lower rates of hospital readmissions after spine surgery and fewer reoperations.
Spine Surgery: Why Choose Memorial Neuroscience Institute?
As one of the region’s leading destinations for spine surgery, we offer:
- Surgical excellence: Our fellowship-trained neurosurgeons have extensive experience treating spine injuries, spine tumors and back and neck pain. Many patients come to us after trying non-surgical treatments or when previous surgeries have not been successful. Meet our team.
- Personalized approach: Your condition is unique and requires personalized care. Our neurosurgeons plan surgery to meet your needs, using minimally invasive procedures when possible.
- Dedicated point of contact: Your team includes a navigator to guide you and your family. They help you understand the process and prepare you for surgery so that you know what to expect.
- Quality-driven care: Our neurosurgeons meet routinely to discuss complex cases and treatment plans. They also evaluate surgical outcomes to continually improve care.
- Convenient locations: Our spine specialists see patients at offices in South Broward and Miami-Dade counties. View our locations.
Related Providers
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Daniel Aghion, MD Neurosurgery -
David Smolar, MD Neurosurgery